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Osen Dorthore
This is a city-state located on a collection of tightly packed islands in the North Reach Sea. The original Water Genasi name for it is Ranginui. The Elvish name, who are the conquering people, is The Most Serene Republic of Osen Dorthore, or Osen Dorthore for short. Osen Dorthore is a maratime republic, with a powerful financial and trading presence in the world. History Historically, Ranginui was a prosperous archipelago inhabited by the Water Genasi, master sailors and craftspeople who would fish, explore deep water caves, and harness the power of the sea for their cities. The magic of the Water Genasi used to provide light and energy to their beautiful coral and shell city was lost when the elves took over. Almost 1000 years ago, a group of high elves came from the mainland of the Diminished Lands, fleeing from yet another ancient conquest on the mainland where they were the victims, and settled in the archipelago. At first, they co-existed with the Water Genasi, but after a time, their use of elvish magic and incredibly long lifespans meant that they took over. They changed the architecture of the city over time to fit their particular high elf aesthetic. Currently, Osen Dorthore is a dense collection of tall buildings, elegant buttresses, gentle archways and delicate and spindly towers. There are hundreds of bridges in the city. Some are more closely guarded than others, but they connect all the islands of the archipelago. Underneath the elegant and at this point ancient Elvish city, there still exists the bones of the almost pre-historic Water Genasi city. Crypts and basements of the current buildings are still made of waterlogged coral and shells held together with ancient mortar, whose secret formula is now lost to time. In the underwater caves of the Genasi, there are many remnants of the old world society, but so much of it is lost, through the corroding water and the hundreds of years. Water Genasi do not live nearly as long as High Elves, and their history has all but been erased, save for their tradition as guardians of the water and their intricate ancestral tattoos. The high elves of Osen Dorthore did not participate in the great overland fight of 250 years ago with the Drow, instead choosing to fortify their very defensible position of their island kingdom and stay neutral. Many wood elves see this as a complete betrayal. Geography From a distance, and from the map, Osen Dorthore looks like it is built on one very large island. But it is actually a collection of tightly packed islands, broken up over time to create a maze-like network of canals. The side of the archipelago facing the mainland is also mountainous, creating a protected side, where the actual city of Osen Dorthore proper sits. The city itself has a wall around it, only open in the main canal for ships to come and go in the shipyards. The main island of Ranginui, where Osen Dorthore is now built, is about the size of Kauai. The perimeter of the archipelago is extremely well-guarded. This is a city-state that survived the overland war of 250 years ago, when the Drow tried to overthrow the surface-dwellers and were thwarted by the Wood Elves. Currently, they welcome outsiders, but for a price. Shipping and trade are the most important aspects of this culture, so there is a great network of docks and shipyards at the mouth of the central canal that are always extremely busy. The Canals There are hundreds of canals crisscrossing the city, made up of the space between the tightly-packed islands of the archipelago. The canals are used for travel and transport, basically "commuting" for people (especially water genasi servants, who either swim with packs on their heads, or ride the extremely over-crowded boats that take on passengers for a couple of coppers). There is a central canal running through the archipelago that is larger than the rest. This is used for when ships need to come farther into the archipelago, and is closely guarded since it can become a major weak point for the perimeter. Water Genasi patrol the canals, the only position of esteem that Water Genasi are allowed. However, the water patrol are closely controlled, and must turn in all weapons at the end of their shifts. Any hostile sea creature or infiltrator that gets into Osen Dorthore via the water spells a very bad time for the Water Patrol, since at least someone will get severely punished for the oversight. So Water Patrol is a quite high-stress job. Bridges Since many parts of the archipelago are divided by canals, the bridges are the natural choke-points for getting from one part of the city to another. They are guarded with varied levels of scrutiny. To traverse canals in the bad part of town, you basically just need to walk by with confidence. To get in the better areas, you have to have papers, be recognizable, look bougee enough to pass for someone who belongs there, or pay off a guard. The Water Caverns Underneath the archipelago is a network of caves that are only accessible through long stretches of water. These are pre-historic Water Genasi caverns, that the oppressed Water Genasi currently use for their rituals and for a place safe from the heel of the ruling High Elves. You have to be extremely tight with the Water Genasi before you can even be led to the caverns. The walls are inlaid with shells, coral, and bones of long-dead sea creatures, testaments to the pre-historic culture of water genasi who settled Ranginui. This is also the location for the Rebellion 'among the water genasi. In order to access it, you have to be able to swim in dark, dangerous sea water for up to an hour. Culture The most common language spoken is '''Elvish, '''but everyone speaks '''Common '''due to the trade routes. Other commonly spoken languages are '''Draconic, Orc '(northern shipping magnates), Sylvan, and '''Dwarvish. The heart and soul of Osen Dorthore is wealth. The more you have, the more you are respected, unless you are one of the seven families. A formal greeting in Elvish that everyone uses (it shows you know the lay of the land) is Ebrath Emon, which means "welcome friend." It is a strange acknowledgment that the Elves of Osen Dorthore are not the original people of the islands. The fashion in the city is very beautiful, artistic, and somewhat out there. There are clear Elvish influences in the flowing garments and delicate filigree and embroidery, but there are also Genasi influences in silks that are painted with intricate symbols. There are tons of jewel tones and shining armor, the people here look as vibrant and beautifully decorated as the buildings. It's common to see people wearing sheer cloaks, feathered hats, and even magically-living butterflies wreathed in your hair (mainly at parties!). If you look like a sailor or commoner, locals will basically ignore you. Gambling is rare here. People spend their money on clothes, magical artifacts, buildings, exotic animals, 'and '''jewelry. '''The more wealth you can openly flaunt, the more impressive you are/the more status you have. Current Political Landscape Currently, the elves are the ruling class of Osen Dorthore, the bankers, the shipping magnates, the merchants, the police, and the ruling class. The elves also hold a lot of skilled positions. They are artisans and crafters, smiths and leather workers. It is extremely difficult to even get an apprenticeship position as a Water Genasi. Basically you can do unskilled manual labor, be staff at a great house, or patrol the canals. The Water Genasi form the disenfranchised lower class, running the canals with deliveries, repairing ships, and doing all the low-level work that the elvish ruling class does not do. Some of the Water Genasi work with the Elvish police and government to form the Water Patrol, which keeps the sea creatures (sirens, sharks, hags, curious merfolk and even kraken) at bay. In return, the Water Patrol receives money and some status among the wealthy elvish ruling class. But the Water Patrol is not always well liked among the rest of the Water Genasi, who see this as something of a betrayal. Society in Osen Dorthore is incredibly stratified, with the wealthy ruling class made up of ancient Elvish families, and the destitute lower class made up of Water Genasi patrol and unskilled labor. You can't get anywhere fancy and important in Osen Dorthore unless you are an Elf or a wealthy outsider of status. But Genasi are typically the lowest on the totem pole. Enforcement (City Guard, Water Patrol, Armada) The two main ways that rules and law are enforced in Osen Dorthore are the '''City Guard '''and the '''Water Patrol. ' The 'City Guard '''wears '''white livery '''with a black and silver insignia of the Dorthore family. The Dorthore family is about as close to a royal family as you get here. They control the gates, the port, the bridges, and basically everything that happens on land. They are a large force and seem extremely well-trained. They are not overly aggressive, and seem to have a lot of respect and deference to rich high elves, but are much harder on any genasi. The '''Water Patrol '''is an elite force of highly trained Water Genasi, who wear dark, water-resistant clothing that almost looks like skin of a seal, and patrol the canals. You can actually see them whizzing by about 10 feet under the surface of the canals if you wait on a bridge long enough. They seem to have some sort of uneasy alliance with the City Guard, but they are also required to relinquish all weapons at the end of their watch to a locked facility run by the City Guard, and they all answer to the City Guard, even the ones who are high ranking within the patrol. The '''Osen Dorthore Armada '''is the naval branch of the security here. They have a pretty decent-sized fleet and this is the other thing that makes Osen Dorthore secure. The High Council The rulers of Osen Dorthore are a high council, made up of five High Elves from the four oldest families in Osen Dorthore. Each family has a representative on the High Council, usually the leader of the family, or they send someone as a proxy. Each family has one representative, but the Dorthore family has two, giving them more power and creating an odd number of votes to prevent ties. They meet in private once a month and as needed to discuss matters of trade and governance. They are known for being very capitalistic and brutal. They hold open court every year for one day, where the people (of status, elves only) can come plead specific complaints. It takes a lot of work to get to this point, and most complaints are heard by lower courts. There is also only one day a year where you get open court, so it's like the Supreme Court on steroids. '(Their next yearly meeting is in three months.) The High Council decides on major things like what trade routes to open, who their allies are, declaring war, spending money on military, etc. They hold a HUGE amount of power with regard to trade company monopolies, and the trade lobby is the largest and most powerful in Osen Dorthore. Council Members # Valora of Gloe # Naivara of Amakiir # The Unnamed Patriarch # Admora of Dorthore # Arun of Dorthore The Blackwater Trading Company There is a de-facto monopoly on the trading in Osen Dorthore. The Blackwater Trading Company is a huge conglomerate of merchant vessels and shipping vessels controlled by a company of powerful shipping magnates. There are two ways to be obscenely wealthy and connected in Osen Dorthore: be one of the Seven Families, or be involved with Blackwater Trading Company. The BTC owns hundreds of vessels and employs shiphands, merchants, and tons of security forces. BTC vessels make up the vast majority of the shipping in and out of Osen Dorthore. If you want something, chances are the BTC can get it for you. It is perfectly legal to have a competing shipping company, but good luck finding any supplies or craftsmen, as most of the good ones are on retainer to the Blackwater Trading Company. The owners of Blackwater are incredibly powerful and connected in the city, and hold an incredibly powerful lobby with the Council. Eldrin He is a middle-aged elf who made his fortune as a sailor before becoming a powerful shipping magnate. He knows the seas very well, though he has also become an astute businessman. He has dark hair that he wears in a long braid and a very well-trimmed beard. He has a silver earring in one ear of a moon. He wears black brocade and intricately designed leather armor. He carries a beautifully-crafted longsword in a black sheath with sliver filigree. His main goal is to keep the BTC prosperous and to make sure all his ships and personnel are safe. He can spot a good deal from a mile away. He is less overtly ruthless than Naivara, but he is also very self-interested. While Naivara will shank you, he will stand aside and shrug apologetically, explaining that you kind of had it coming. Naivara of Amakiir See below. She holds 49% stake in the BTC to maintain the illusion that she is not biased while voting on the council. It's an open secret that Eldrin Trafir is completely under the control of the Amakiir family. The Four Families There are four families in Osen Dorthore who are descendants of the first settlers of the area. If you're not from the area, you can tell if someone is one of the Four Families because they have an "of" by their name, or they will literally have no name (the Unnamed Family). Commoners and non-familied folk will just have a first name So Name of Gloe or of Kewynn is a member of the Seven Families, but Eldrin is not. This naming convention comes from old Water Genasi naming. The water genasi have historically called themselves "Name of Name," and the first elves who settled here took that on. Nowadays, the original four families are the only ones who use this, and it's seen as a status symbol for elves, but a sign of very low status for Genasi. # Gloe # Amakiir # The Unnamed # Dorthore Gloe (finances) The Gloe Family is in charge of the Gloe Exchange, the main financial center and bank in Osen Dorthore. They value fairness and profit above all else. They deal with lending, keeping valuables, levying taxes, and processing docking/shipping fees.They are led by Valora of Gloe, whose twin brother was Abernathy of Gloe, who disappeared 25 years ago while exploring with Neverin Orist. The family has not been the same since Abernathy disappeared, and they harbor rivalry with the Amakiir 'family, since the Amakiir family still works closely with Neverin as part of the BTC. They cannot be overtly opposed to the Amakiir family and the BTC, but they certainly do make things difficult for them where they can. Valora of Gloe She has brown hair, large, liquid brown eyes, and streaks of grey at her temples. There are rumors that there is a little bit of human or genasi blood mixed with the Gloe line, which is why their members seem to age differently (grey hair, etc). Valora is the head of the Gloe Exchange, and is an intelligent and fair money-lender. She is in a lot of pain from losing Abernathy, her twin brother, but she does not believe that violence is the answer. She mainly refuses to socialize with the Amakiir family apart from strict business. Valora is a powerful Wizard, and wields a 'Staff of the Magi, which she does not use for violence but for control if something happens. She is somewhat friendly but very much sees herself in a completely different class than the party, and does not want to help them unless they help her. She is nonviolent and interested in justice, but self-interested (her family too) and does not want to create problems for herself by engaging in rivalries and alliances with the other families. She sees part of her role as preserving the Exchange. Her quarters/office is always full of fresh flowers (some of them mainland) and she offers fresh fruit to the party frequently. Amakiir (shipping/trade) The Amakiir family is known for its major stake in the Blackwater Trading Company, making it the second most powerful family in the city after the Dorthore family. The matriarch of the Amakiir family, Naivara, is one of the two heads of the BTC. The Amakiir family is also known to be quite dangerous and cutthroat with its enemies. Naivara of Amakiir Naivara has white-blond hair, angular features, delicately pointed ears, and wears navy-blue robes made of fine velvet and embroidered with tiny white gems that are barely visible but catch the light and sparkle. She carries an ornate obsidian and dark wood walking stick that conceals a rapier. She is often seen with her pet Displacer Beast, a huge, muscle-bound and totally black panther-like entity with a long tail and two whip-like tentacles. She walks around with it on a jewel-encrusted collar and lead. The Displacer Beast seems totally obedient to her but incredibly hostile to everyone else. (For her, it is part protection, part pet. It sleeps in her bedroom to deter assassins, since the Amakiir family has many enemies.) Her priority is to maintain control of the shipping business in Osen Dorthore through the Blackwater Trading Company. Her personality is cold, calculating, very superior, and intimidating. She is basically as close to a mob boss as you can get while still being a member of the high council. The Unnamed (archives) The Unnamed are just as they sound-no member of the Unnamed family has a name. However, since they are one of the six founding families of Osen Dorthore, having no name is a HUGE status symbol. The Unnamed family is in charge of The Lumen Reserve, the largest library and record-keeping establishment in Osen Dorthore. Since they are in charge of the history and knowledge of the city, the Unnamed are careful to maintain (at least the appearance of) neutrality. This is a major reason they still don't take names. They all call each other Firrith, which means No-one '''in Sylvan. All the Unnamed also wear facial tattoos, which is sort of their substitute for names. They are taught from a young age to stay as visually neutral as possible in their voice and expression. You can tell how old an Unnamed is by the amount of emotion they show. The Unnamed Patriarch He is an elf whose age is impossible to tell. He has golden hair that he wears combed back from his face and lose to his shoulders. He wears a high-collared set of very well-made robes of dark burgundy and white. His facial tattoo is a series of thin lines on his chin. His face remains as neutral as possible throughout all interactions. He seeks to remain as neutral as possible, and his two major goals are to '''preserve the library '''and to '''gain more knowledge. '''The Lunen Reserve is generally not open to the public, or at least most of it is not. You need to be a person of repute (so from a well-established business or family), and even that will not get you very far. You can either be a member of the Unnamed, or have some sort of knowledge to offer the reserve for them to let you in. The Plot to Overthrow the Dorthore Family Though the water genasi want to start a revolution that will overturn the current ruling system, they are not the only ones. The Unnamed have long harbored toxic resentment towards the Dorthore family for taking what they believe is authority that should rightfully be theirs. They believe that they should be in charge of Osen Dorthore because '''they are the most knowledgeable and most neutral '''of all its people, but they also believe in Elvish '''superiority, so if they get into power, they are basically planning to wipe out the genasi '''once and for all. They think that the Dorthore family is too accommodating. (You will never see any genasi in the Lumen Archives, and almost none of the Unnamed have them as staff in their homes, choosing other races instead.) Why now? The world is changing. The Dorthore family is getting older. There are rumblings from the North, suggesting Osen Dorthore might not be the only shipping game in town. Stonefall is working at setting up its port. The time is now. Dorthore (government) The Dorthore family is the oldest and most well-respected family in Osen Dorthore. Legend has it that their patriarch, Aelen Dorthore, led the first high elves to the shores of the archipelago a thousand years ago. Aelen Dorthore, now known as Aelen of Dorthore, died many years ago before the split in the society where the water genasi became second-class citizens. Currently, the leader of the Dorthore family is the great-grandparents/couple, '''Admora (f) and Arun (m) of Dorthore. They are very old, probably 700+ years, and were young when their father Aelen came to settle the area. They are however very okay with the stratified society currently in the city. The Dorthore power is still great, and they have a ton of wealth and are the only family with two seats on the High Council. However, they are considered a little old fashioned by the other families, and generally don't do deals and alliances like the other, smaller, families do. Admora and Arun of Dorthore These are ancient elves. They do not look wrinkly, rather they both have white hair and their skin is papery and translucent, showing blue veins below the surface. Admora wears white robes lined with mink fur around the collar and sleeves, and wears many expensive-looking rings over white gloves. Arun also wears white, a richly-made velvet set of robes with a cloak made of the hide of an arctic fox. He carries a large staff made from driftwood, with pieces of coral seeming to grow from it. This is an ancient staff created by Aelen Dorthore when he first arrived in Ranginui over 1500 years ago. Their interest is so removed from the common people that they don't even speak common or genasi, they only speak Elvish and Sylvan. They live in a large house surrounded by a very high wall, and are constantly surrounded by an entourage of servants and bodyguards. Their interest is to keep Osen Dorthore safe and a major power in the region. City Districts The city is divided into multiple districts. Some districts span multiple canals, some are just on one little island. All are connected with bridges that are heavily guarded. (Note for gameplay: they don't know how things are separated, so as they wander the city, they start to learn what the different places might be. Don't name the districts, just describe them.) Gates Port Gate '''- This is the gate to the main city that separates it from the port itself. Outside the gate are the '''docks, and most of the major shipping and loading of boats. Inside the gate are other things related to shipping, like warehouses where goods are stored. The Port Gate is the most well-guarded and extremely busy, since sailors, merchants, and people bringing goods in and out of the city pass through all the time. Rife with pickpocketing. You have to pay the fee '''to get into the city, which is dependent upon your business there. If you are a merchant, the fee is 5 gp, if you have a letter of introduction, it's free, if you are there for personal or shopping reasons, it's 1 gp per person. '''Mountain Gate - This is the gate at the opposite side of the city to the port. It is much smaller and less frequently used, but it's still well-guarded. You will still be asked your business but not asked to pay as hefty a fee as if you came in the Port Gate. Financial District What it looks like: The bridges to this part of the city are more heavily guarded than any you have seen before. Fully-armored guards stand two by two on each side, and the bridges themselves are actually covered, forcing you to walk through a tunnel-like structure. The guards ask your business and are seen turning away urchins and other unsavory-looking types. The streets here are wide and paved with very well-made flagstones. The buildings are taller and seem more solid than other areas in the city, and the streets are lined with elegant streetlights in Elven style of decor. You see several large buildings with gates in front of them, guarded by what look like guards, except they are not wearing the white livery of the Osen Dorthore city guard. (Private security). Several buildings have signs with scales on them. This includes the Gloe Exchange, a massive bank that takes up an entire city block. It is the most impressive building you see in the area. It has a domed roof painted brilliant blue, and the stone structure is pale white. It has large windows facing the street, but now windows around the back and sides. A large, wrought-iron gate encloses the area, and there are lilacs and wisteria climbing it (not flowering since it's almost winter). The financial district is contained to one island, and is extremely heavily guarded. You see armed guards on almost every corner, and the people here all seem well-dressed. There are carriages going to and fro on the streets. This district includes solicitor's offices, small-time money lenders/loan sharks, and fancier pubs and wine bars, even a couple of really nice coffee houses. Some residential here but not much. Imposing buildings with lots of security. Your options for banking and getting loans in Osen Dorthore are to either get a loan with interest and collateral from the Gloe Exchange, to find a loan shark who will lend you at crazy high interest, or to visit a pawn shop in the bazaars. The Gloe Exchange will change the party's cursed gold for regular gold at the rate of 25% (so they get back 75% of what they had in un-cursed gold). The bank starts them at 35% and can be talked down. Alternatively, they can secure a loan for 35% interest plus collateral of something valuable, because they are adventurers. The bankers ask them how many times they have been in near-death situations in the last year. (Bluff checks!) Temple of Melora - This is a tall and graceful structure of white stucco and blue domes. It has flowing blue and white silks at the entrance and a beautiful garden surrounding it. Inside, it has a statue of Melora in the center of a wide fountain, representing the sea. Entertainment District This area is close to the water, so you can see an excellent view of the ship and the sea from many places here. It is extremely busy in the evenings, with a huge mix of wealthy patrons, urchins, sailors and deckhands, and merchants milling around. There are brightly colored flags flying from multiple buildings, and lots of things to do. Theater - '''There are shows in common, well-known plays about love and comedy. There is also an '''Opera House '''with esoteric performances entirely in Elvish and Sylvan, depicting highbrow stories of Elvish history. Very expensive. '''Coffee Houses - There are whole bunch of different ones. There is one called the Copper Cup, which has opulent decorations, lots of cushions, and strong coffee served in glassware with metal rims. They don't serve food. Hooka Bars '''- There are also some of these in the Bazaar/crafting districts. They is one that is open-air, called '''The Cat's Repose, with outdoor lounging couches separated into little areas by hanging carpets. Taverns and Pubs - There are taverns here from the extremely fancy (The Moon's Fancy) to the extremely gross (The Salty Tankard). 'All of them are bustling and full. There are tons of different people here. Lots of seafood served. '''All Male Brothel - Red Sky at Night '(a cheeky way of saying Sailor's Delight). Red lights in the windows, a madame with a large key ring at her belt. All sorts of prostitutes here, all sorts of races. (WHAT IF KLAUS's DRAGONBORN FRIEND IS HERE) '''Ganemede's House - This is not so much a traditional tavern as a perpetually running half-casino, half-party. It is (apparently) owned and operated by Ganemede Bravis, a half-orc who is originally from the North Continent. He has pale green skin and tusks, and his hair is long and tied in a man-bun. He has a beard with beads in it and wears a silk tunic in dark red, and wears gold chains around his neck on his open chest. He is flamboyant and outrageous, and he takes random liking to people, handing them fistfuls of poker chips and leading them into one fo the many rooms of the party/tavern. * He is acting as a front for the Unnamed to run their life-sucking operation. He is really named Faro, and he is down on his luck merchant (though really from the north), who the Unnamed hired to be this fantasy person who runs the party/tavern. (With enough pressure from the party, he will cave, drop his flamboyant persona and spill his guts. "I don't know their names! They never use names! They always call each other 'firth' or something.") * The place is owned and funded by The Unnamed, using Ganemede/Faro as their "shell corporation" in a way. They fund it through money they get from the Lumen Archives and from their enchanting side businesses. With a high DC perception check, they can see an Unnamed or two leaving or arriving at the place, hooded and trying to be sneaky. * The life-sucking magic in Ganemede's House causes people to completely lose track of time, their perceptions get completely altered and they end up staying way longer than intended. The more you go back, the worse the effect gets. There are a few people who have totally lost their minds. * Underneath Ganemede's House is the area of the Water Caves that are taken over by the Merrow. In those caves is a giant stone golem made of the same light-colored stone of the city above. It is HUGE, bigger than the iron golems in Kord, and has a huge blade affixed to the end of one of its arms. It is standing in the center of the large central cave, surrounded by six glowing crystals that seem to be feeding it life force in very thin threads of blue energy. The crystals are focuses for the life-sapping magic of the house above, and are slowly powering up the giant golem. (If the party starts to destroy the golem, it will wake up and fight back, but very slowly and haltingly. But if it does get off an attack, it is devastating. Destroying the crystals will weaken it, but it has to be fully destroyed in order to stop it completely. If it were at full capacity it would destroy them.) ''' Crafter's/Guild District/Bazaar (shopping) What it looks like: '''The Bazaar, a large, open-air market with tons of goods from all over the world. Since Osen Dorthore is a center of shipping and commerce, you can find things from all over. The Bazaar has smaller items and lots of raw materials like cloth, spices, animals, food, and low-level art. The Bazaar is along the biggest street in the Crafter's district, with domed arches at regular intervals made of painted stone. You can find a ton of different things here. * The Carpet Seller '''- A tabaxi with red and orange fur and curled whiskers, who wears a purple silk robe, named '''Feza. He always has a wide grin for his customers. His stall is covered in hanging carpets, all sorts of different designs, and smells like patchouli. (In the back, he has a Magic Carpet large enough for four people, which he is willing to sell for 2,500 gp, talked down from 3,000) * The Spice Merchant '''- A half-elf woman with blonde hair and green eyes named '''Vera. Lots of different spices. * Lantern sellers, Parchment and Quills, Spell components * If they don't meet her in the Genasi district, the Genasi Tinkerer's cart with the Pearls of Selune. * Street Food Carts ** Fitzi Fish, things that look like grey rocks the size of a grapefruit with a bumpy texture, which are steamed in bamboo baskets. You use a dagger or stilleto to find the seam and crack them open, and inside is delicate white fish meat that is delicious. It's good street food because you can split with someone and just scoop out the fish inside. Sauce optional. ** Fish Pies - hand pies with fish stew filling them ** Seafood Skewers - Scallops, shrimp, and chunks of white fish on grilled skewers, covered in savory herb sauces. Whitesmith's Alley '- One of the offshoots from the Bazaar street, this is an area where you can find most of the magic items in Osen Dorthore. It has a strong guard presence since there are many valuable things being sold here. It also has a high concentration of foreign-looking merchants and wealthy elves with their retinue of servants surrounding them. * Inventory: Magic Shop Generator * '''The Raven's Quill '- Old elf man owns this. Spells scrolls, wands, staffs, spell components. ' ' * 'Silver Codex '- Elf woman with silvery hair. Some weapons and potions * 'Umber's Realm of Oddities '- Half-elf man with a missing tooth and wearing velvet robes of green. All the cool stuff/weird stuff. 'Shops (blacksmiths, tanneries, cobblers, artisans) '- Basic stuff from the PHB. If you want boosted armor, you have to go to the Bazaar or to Whitesmith's Alley. '''Guild Halls Docks/Shipyards/Inns Contains Inns and Taverns '''where most outsiders stay. Small '''shrine to Selune, where many ship workers and sailors leave small offerings for good fortune on their journey. Shipyards and docks '''include lots of security, boats coming in and out, massive areas where traded goods are brought on and off the boats, boat repair and supplies. '''Fish Market '''is also here, and runs from before sunup to just after sunrise near the shipyards. You see tons of Genasi buying and selling here, almost all of the buyers are delivering to fancy houses or taverns. '''Blackwater Trading Company has a warehouse in the shipyards. It's very large and well-guarded, and constantly busy. You see Eldrin 'here at times, and even '''Naivara of Amakiir, '''but that's more rare. Wealthy District/Parliament Building/Government Slums (Water Genasi) There are two islands that are Genasi and working class quarters, and one of them is unofficially a slum because the tanneries are there and smell really bad. Most of the housing here is very close together and made of a mixture of modern Elvish structures and very old-looking Genasi ruins, which are half-buried. The bridges to these areas are guarded, but it looks like mostly to keep the genasi in rather than to keep people out. Most places here are multi-family dwellings. There are a couple of taverns, but they are basically someone's converted house rather than something that looks like it's intended to be a tavern in the first place. Almost everyone here is Genasi, and if you are not, you stick out a lot. There are ways to get to the underwater caverns here, the knowledge of how to get there is very closely guarded by the Genasi, since it's both a huge piece of their history and heritage, and because there are so few places that Genasi get to feel like first-class citizens. '''Genasi Tinkerer '- There are a few tinkers in the slums who everyone knows and who go from slum to slum selling odds and ends, lightly-used items, refurbished discarded things from the wealthy districts, basically what you could find dumpster-diving in Beverly Hills. ''' (this is where to get the weird, less powerful magic items) * Ha Mea - an older woman with beads and shells braided into her hair. She pushes around a large, boxy cart covered in tarp and stops to sell with people who knows her. She seems to know a lot of people. ** Pearls of Selune - these are opalescent marbles of different hues, all white-shift but some are pink, blue, green, orange, red. When thrown, they will set off a cantrip, any cantrip, completely at random. Could be eldritch blast, could be spare the dying. (2 gp for a packet of 5) ** Cape of Clorophil - the user gains 1 hp per hour as long as you are in bright light the entire time. (150 gp) ** Sterling silver tea set, missing one saucer (setting for three) ** Brightly colored scarves in blue, green, and white ** Perfume (Cedar wood and Sea Salt, Lemongrass and Geranium) - 5 sp per tiny bottle ** Seal Skin Vest (what the Water Patrol wear, looks damaged and re-sewn, does not help AC at all but allows you to swim without becoming waterlogged) - 35 gp Water Genasi - The Resistance There is a faction of Water Genasi who want to stage a resistance to shake up the way the genasi are being treated in Osen Dorthore. It is not a universal consensus among genasi. There are many who are supporting family and want to keep their jobs, and those in the Water Patrol are not sympathetic. Their meeting place is The Abalone Shell, a small tavern in the Genasi district. It has a downstairs meeting area that the owner lets them use for their covert planning. The owner is an older genasi man named Hakene. NPC's of the Resistance (A collection of about 40 genasi) * Mahora '- A young woman with black hair in long braid and tattoos on her chin and neck, and sea-green eyes. Like the other genasi here, she has brown skin. She is serious and somewhat intense, but she is extremely responsible. Both her parents were killed by the City Guard when she was a small child for trying to organize a labor union among the Genasi shipyard workers. Currently, she does canal deliveries for the wealthy districts. She is not a skilled fighter or caster, but she has the fire of revolution within her. * '''Kahoere '- A 40-something man with black, curly hair and dark brown eyes and skin. He is very mistrustful of any outsiders, especially the party, and lets them know that he still does not trust them even if Mahora does. He is Mahora's right-hand man, and is vowed to protect her at all costs. He is a dock worker and is missing his left index finger from an accident on the docks. (Dynamic of Dany and Jora). 'The Plan '- The Resistance plans to attack the yearly meeting of the high council in ~3 months to try and take out all the major members of the Four Families. They plan to do this in order (1) send a message and have their demands heard, and (2) to create a power vacuum where they can demand representation on a new council. * Attack parliament * Amass weapons and hide them in the Water Caves, train fighters What they need from the party is the following: * Smuggle weapons into the Water Caves * Help train Water Genasi resistance fighters (bonus points for fire bombs and things like that) * Recon on the Parliament building (find out what kind of security exists on the inside, and also steal the floor plans to the building. If arrested, DO NOT give up the Water Genasi resistance) The Water Caves Water Genasi Elders are the people who lead the genasi people and who do things like run the festivals and do the tattooing. They are the oldest Genasi on the islands, and it's their task to preserve as much of the tradition and histories as they can. It is primarily an oral tradition, since it's very difficult for genasi to get an adequate education here. * 'Io '- Old, hunched Genasi woman who is said to be over 90 (which is very old for genasi). She is in a makeshift wheelchair most of the time, but has an easier time in the water. She is blind and says very little. She has tattoos ALL OVER her body, and was said to have been a strong warrior in her youth. * 'Wiremu - '''Old man with smile lines and deep wrinkles in his brown face, almost completely bald save for a few wisps of white hair. More spritely than Io. He carries a staff with living coral attached to it and is a level 1 druid. * '''Te Pura '- Old woman with iron-grey hair and blue eyes. She is the primary bard/musician/storyteller of the genasi in Ranginui. If the party is able to gain the trust of the Genasi enough to be taken to the Water Caves (for secret meetings, for tattoos, and especially to leave the cache of smuggled weapons), they are given very ancient-looking chokers with pearls at the throat, that allow them to breathe underwater indefinitely. They are extremely precious, and the party is not allowed to keep them. They also won't be able to talk underwater. '''The water caves are dangerous. '''Because so few genasi are allowed to train and learn to use weapons or magic, they don't have many ways to defend themselves. During festivals like the Night of Many Waves, some Water Patrol are allowed to bring their weapons to defend this area, but mostly the genasi have to hide until the danger passes. There is a '''Pod of Merrows '''who have taken up residence in a branch of the cave system. The genasi have blocked off any access to their area of caves, but they don't have any other way to get those caves back due to their lack of training and complete lack of help from the Elves. Beneath the islands are caves accessible only by traveling underwater for a long period of time, over an hour. The caves are also extremely difficult to find, and are really only find-able by genasi who have been there many times. The caves themselves are open-air and lined with bio-luminescent corals that grow along the walls in carefully cultivated patterns, mostly geometric and concentric, like the tattoos these genasi have. There are intricate, black-ink paintings between the bio luminescence, depicting all sorts of history and legends of the water genasi. The Water Caves are used for rituals, especially the ritual tattooing (that you earn by works of kindness, honor, and valor, which is close to why the river genasi give tattoos) and festivals, especially the '''Night of Many Waves, '''where the genasi get together and tell their complete oral tradition and history over the course of a few days and nights of constant storytelling, drinking, feasting, and festivities. That happens in the middle of summer. '''Encounter - Merrow Pod - While the party is there, there is an alarm system that goes off (mild magic, one of the sections of biolumienscent coral goes from glowing blue-green to glowing red) and alerts them that there are some dangers in the area. Two Merrows and a Hunter Shark '''have come too close to the Genasi-controlled part of the water caves and started attacking one of the Genasi lookouts. * If the party deals with the Merrows and Hunter Shark, the genasi ask them if they will clear out the branch of the Water Caves that have been taken over by the Merrow Pod. It's part of their ancestral home but they don't have the resources to properly defend it anymore. Their reward will be very little gold, but definitely Water Genasi tattoos. * '''Sub-Plot: '''the Merrows are there to protect the half-formed monster that the Unnamed are growing down in the caves to take over the city. That's why there are so many of them and why they showed up in force like two years ago or so. The half-formed monster is being fed by the '''Perpetual Party, which is secretly run by The Unnamed. Water Genasi - The Water Patrol The water patrol wears seal-skin vests and basically wetsuits, and most of them either have shaved heads or closely braided hair. A lot of them have tattoos, but they keep them more hidden, since they say that the high elves mistrust genasi with visible genasi-origin tattoos. * 'Koro - '''captain of the Water Patrol. He is in his thirties, with black hair shaved on the sides (Peaky Blinders style, or Hawkeye in Endgame), and he has tattoos on his chest and back. He has sea-grey eyes and dark skin. He is more of a strong silent type, and he is extremely loyal and protective of his Water Patrol members. The other members tell the party how often Koro takes the fall for them and makes sure their mistakes don't put their families in danger. He has scars all over his back from punishments from the City Guard. He does not want to create any trouble whatsoever for his Water Patrol, especially not by mixing them up in the Resistance. His predecessor got hanged for "rebellious sympathies." He carries a trident. * '''Enoka '- She is his right hand woman, a tall, broadly-built woman with brown hair in a pixie cut and green eyes. She has a few tattoos, also where she can hide them with her seal skin attire. She carries a long spear. People of Note * Neverin Orist (and by extension, the missing Abernathy of Gloe) * The High Council members * Water Genasi Elders * Water Genasi Resistance Plot Hooks * Missing Adventurer (Abernathy of Gloe, hired by Valora through the Archives) * A Daring Adventure to the North (Neverin Orist and the BTC, something dangerous and dark, Neverin taking credit and trying to kill them, but the danger of returning without Neverin and his scrying orb/wards) * Revolution (the water genasi resistance hires the party to gather intel on the high council's yearly meeting, since Genasi can't be seen poking around in these affairs. During the yearly meeting, when all the council members will be together, they can carry out an act of terrorism; alternatively, they have a plan in motion but need some reconnaissance done. If the party proves trustworthy, even if caught and interrogated, they will trust them with the wider goal.) * Sword Collector (someone is looking to buy the Bryzim Sword from Hamish because they have the bounties for the teeth of the dragon to bring to Stonefall. If the party refuses to sell, they hire someone to rob them.) Category:City-State Category:Osen Dorthore